1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to split caps of the type including a retaining ring and a blank used to cover the opening of a container having a reversible or invertible spout or nozzle. More particularly, the present invention relates to means for retaining or otherwise coupling the blank to the container so that the blank cannot be lost.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Portable fuel containers are of great value to anyone who must operate any sort of fuel-powered equipment--lawn mowers, chain saws, etc. There are a wide variety of such containers, ranging in size from one gallon to five gallons or more in capacity. They are convenient in that they enable the user to move fuel from a fixed fuel tank--such as at a gas station--to a remote site where the equipment is to be used.
Many of the portable fuel containers in use and commercially available are made of plastics that are relatively lightweight and that are fuel resistant. Most of the containers that are available have a fuel fill port, which is the port for fuel inlet as well as fuel outlet, and a vent port. The vent port is designed to provide suitable atmospheric pressure to ensure that fuel will flow out of the fill port. There is generally a vent port cap secured to the body of the container to retain the vent port cap when the container is to be vented.
The fill port also comes with a cap. Some caps are simply molded unitary pieces that may be screwed onto a threaded exterior of the fill port. When fuel is to be introduced into the container--or poured out of the container--the unitary cap and the vent port cap are removed and the fuel is poured into or out of the fill port. Unfortunately, there is considerable spillage in such an operation as the fill port tends to be fairly wide and therefore induces splashing. Further, the container is ordinarily needed to fill relatively small fill holes of fuel-powered equipment. Doing so would be difficult without some sort of spout.
In order to overcome this problem, many containers have been produced to include a fuel nozzle having an outlet with a diameter smaller than the diameter of the fill port, and a base that is designed to rest on the perimeter of the fill port when deployed. The base is essentially a flange with an interior opening substantially of the same dimensions as the inside diameter of the fill port.
While the nozzle improves the flow of fuel out of the container, it cannot be used to fill the container. Therefore, reversible or invertible nozzles (spouts) have been developed and added to fuel containers. The invertible nozzle is designed to be inserted into the container nozzle outlet first when the container is not in use. The flange of the base of the nozzle rests on the fill port wall so that the nozzle will not fall into the container. The nozzle is removed from the container when the container is to be filled by withdrawing it from within the container. The nozzle is deployed for use by taking it out of the container, and inverting it such that the nozzle outlet is facing outwardly away from the tank, with the base again resting on the fill port of the container. Through this design, a suitable fuel nozzle can be used and then stowed out of the way when it is not in use.
In order for the container with invertible spout to work properly, it is necessary to have a two-part split cap to seal the container fill port under all conditions. The split cap covers the fill port through which the fuel (or any other fluid being transferred to or from the container) enters and exits the container. The split cap includes two pieces: a sealing disk--generally known as a "blank"--and an annular retaining ring or apertured cap that is generally coupled to the outside of the fill port. The retaining ring is designed to capture the blank and force it into contact with the flange of the base of the nozzle when the nozzle is inside the container and the container is to be closed. The blank thereby aids in sealingly closing the container. It also provides an alignment mechanism. The retaining ring includes a perimeter lip or flange that is the means for sealingly trapping the blank to the fill port perimeter. The ring flange also captures or traps the flange of the nozzle's base against the fill port perimeter when the nozzle is within the container and, more importantly, when the nozzle is deployed for fluid delivery. Since the retaining ring is annular, the nozzle can pass through it. However, when the nozzle is not in use, the blank must be used in order to ensure that fluid will not come out of the fill port by way of the retaining ring's annulus. It is important, then, that the blank always be available to completely seal the container when the nozzle is not deployed.
Unfortunately, for most of the portable containers in use that include a split cap, the blank is fairly small and can easily be misplaced or displaced. As a result, it is quite common to lose them. This prevents the user from ensuring a sealing closure of the container when desired. When blanks are lost, there is a tendency to leave the nozzle in place and either let fluid splash out of it, or, more commonly, stuff a rag into the nozzle outlet to prevent fluid from escaping. Of course, this sets up a terribly dangerous condition when the fluid is a combustible one. Means for ensuring that the blank is kept proximate to the retaining ring would therefore be useful. Unfortunately, the split-cap containers that have been and are available are not tethered to any other component of the container, or, for that matter, to the container itself.
Several designs have been disclosed that apparently aid in keeping a fluid container closed. U.S. Pat. No. 4,595,130 issued to Berney describes the problems associated with the split-cap design in a reversible-spout container. However, rather than make suitable modifications to the cap supplied with the container, Berney created a completely different cap and nozzle assembly. In particular, Berney provides a second unitary cap that closes the container's fill port when the spout is within the container and a different and a re-designed nozzle that eliminates the need for the retaining ring. The second cap is tethered to the container at the base of the fill port. Berney provides a rather expensive fix to the problem of a lost blank by creating a new nozzle and a new cap.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,811,865 issued to Mueller, Jr. et al. is also for a gas can having an invertible spout. The container includes an apertured cap but apparently without a blank for sealing of the container when the nozzle is within the container. Instead, a cap is used to cover the nozzle outlet when the container is not in use--whether the nozzle is deployed for fluid flow or when it is inverted within the container. The Mueller design is not specifically related to a split-cap design but does show the attempts made to address the problems associated with the stowable spout.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,400,928 issued to Resnick describes a supplemental device for storing a nozzle of a container. There is included means for retaining a unitary cap to the container, but Resnick fails to address the problem of retaining the blank of a split cap of the type commonly available and widely used. U.S. Pat. No. 2,597,593 issued to Neuner describes a type of invertible spout but fails to address the problems specifically related to loss of the blank of a split-cap design.
Therefore, what is needed is a modified split cap assembly designed to make it easy for a user to retain the blank when the nozzle is deployed. What is also needed is a modified split cap assembly that is designed to conform with the design of the original container and invertible spout so as to minimize the expense associated with ensuring that the blank will not be lost.